characteristic
Americanadjective
noun
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a distinguishing feature or quality.
Generosity is his chief characteristic.
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Mathematics.
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the integral part of a common logarithm.
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the exponent of 10 in a number expressed in scientific notation.
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the smallest positive integer n such that each element of a given ring added to itself n times results in 0.
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noun
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a distinguishing quality, attribute, or trait
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maths
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the integral part of a common logarithm, indicating the order of magnitude of the associated number Compare mantissa
the characteristic of 2.4771 is 2
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another name for exponent, used esp in number representation in computing
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adjective
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The part of a logarithm to the base 10 that is to the left of the decimal point. For example, if 2.749 is a logarithm, 2 is the characteristic.
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Compare mantissa
Related Words
See feature.
Other Word Forms
- characteristically adverb
- noncharacteristic adjective
- noncharacteristically adverb
- quasi-characteristic adjective
- quasi-characteristically adverb
- uncharacteristic adjective
- uncharacteristically adverb
Etymology
Origin of characteristic
First recorded in 1655–65; from Greek charaktēristikós ( character, -istic )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Growth, balance sheet, leverage, and valuation rank weak relative to peers, limiting margin-of-safety characteristics.
From Barron's
By integrating globally available information on soil composition, temperature, and other habitat characteristics, the team demonstrated how high risk scorpion areas can be identified beyond Morocco.
From Science Daily
“We believe this proposed transaction would provide each company with enhanced strategic flexibility, its own defined business focus, and clear characteristics for investors.”
But despite his characteristic command and media savvy, Jackson’s campaign never gained true momentum, scoring mixed results.
From Los Angeles Times
As Jackson’s media prominence grew — including a cover photo on Time magazine in 1970 — tensions erupted between Jackson and SCLC, in part because of the sloppy bookkeeping that became a Jackson characteristic.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
